You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

Welcome to Ultimate Subaru Message Board, my lurker friend!

Welcome to Ultimate Subaru Message Board, an unparalleled Subaru community full of the greatest Subaru gurus and modders on the planet! We offer technical information and discussion about all things Subaru, the best and most popular all wheel drive vehicles ever created.

We offer all this information for free to everyone, even lurkers like you! All we ask in return is that you sign up and give back some of what you get out - without our awesome registered users none of this would be possible! Plus, you get way more great stuff as a member! Lurk to lose, participate to WIN*!

Say hello and join the conversation

Subscribe to topics and forums to get automatic updates

Get your own profile and make new friends

Classifieds with all sorts of Subaru goodies

Photo hosting in our gallery

Meet other cool people with cool cars

Seriously, what are you waiting for? Make your life more fulfilling and join today! You and your Subaru won't regret it, we guarantee** it.

* The joy of participation and being generally awesome constitutes winning** Not an actual guarantee, but seriously, you probably won't regret it!

The H6 has a head-gasket problem at a rate equal or less than any car that has no unusual rate of failure, I think. No matter how good the gasket or the surfaces or the clamping, some small number will have a problem.

I would check the oil (and under the oil cap) for signs of moisture, and look under the heads for a greenish tint on the visible edges of the gasket.

this amy or may not help...but my '97 outback 2.5 had head gasket issues...due to a bad back I was hesitant to do the gaskets...research led me to "steel seal"...ran a bottle in the engine following instructions and a year later is no leaks...just my .02...now I'm into fuel pumps and 02 sensors...does is ever end???

clasic gasket vibration taking the coating off the gasket is gone on the bottom at the back of the head was it leaking coolant into the oil pasage ? was the gasket leaking into the headbolt and then out the side ? When i install new gaskets i glue them with avinoic form a gasket to insulate the gasket from vibrations. How was the timing covers to remove fun eh

had a 06 trbeca with burt valve at 160000kms other day was odd poping out the back and dead on #4 cly used engine was 3800$ and was non to be found localy.Was suprised that it failed in thiss way i thought the valves were tough in the 3.0

Have you torn the engine down to find out what kind of burn it is? Is it melted on the edge or does it look like someone took a cutting torch to it?

Had one that basically had a hole cut out of it, showed it to an instructor at school who suggested bad gas lead to repeated detonation and caused the valve face to crack. Called it "thermal shock". Exhaust melted it from the center out so it looked like someone took a torch to it.

Found the pics I took:

I should add that this valve came out of an Ej22. Not a 6 banger. But it did have hydraulic lash adjusters. I don't suppose "thermal shock" cares what engine it happens in though. Also remembered the other term she used was Valve face guttering to describe the way it burned.

same as addjusting 2.5 d take the head off is best way i built a tool to push the bucket down so i can slip the pucks out for 2.5 d . but the six I have no buckets for or shims so head whould have to be taken off. the dealer took thiss car back as the customer had just bought it from the dealer a month ago. sad part is they knew it had burnt valve when they sold it they were going to change the engine. After i located one for her kinda got burned on it but dident look like a nice motor job to do anyway.